Holding The Line

Woke up at 182.5 this morning and was looking the best I think I ever have in my life. At a ectomorphic 5'10" this weight looks ideal on my frame.

My line in the sand as far as weight is 180. If I dip below that, I will be extremely worried. I'm getting older; it's getting harder to keep my size and strength up where I want them.

I think my pecs are a little plumper looking than usual because of the recent isolation work -- the first I'd done in years and years.

I have been mercilessly attacking those adhesions in my left vastus lateralis (especially near the origin and just below the hip). I don't think it's an accident that my left knee is now completely normal looking and feeling. I can squat down with zero pain and hold an on-toes squat stance with no problem.

Pull with Hamstring Focus

Semistiff-Legged Continuous Pull [no belt]
225 x 10
315 x 6
365 x 3
405 x 2
425 x 1
440 x 5

Glute-Hamstring Raise x 2, 3, 3
Lying Leg Curl, levered 75 x 25, 115 x 10 x 2
Cambered Bar Curl 105 x 6

-notes-
Dug deep for the pulls. Rear right shoulder still hurting and was wrecked after pulls, so no upper body pulling.

Semistiff-Legged Pull 440 x 5

Press Day + Lighter But Stronger

Standing Barbell Press [suicide grip 1 inch inside rings]

45 x 10 x 2

105 x 5

125 x 2

135 x 1

140 x 1

145 x 6 [RPE 9.5]

Close Grip Bench Press [suicide grip 2 inches inside rings]

45 x 12 x 2

135 x 5

165 x 2

185 x 1

195 x 1

200 x 1

205 x 6 [RPE 10]

Low Incline Bench Fly with 15-lb Dumbbells x 20 x 3

Seated Lateral Raise with 10-lb Dumbbells x 15 x 3

Static Lateral Hold with 5-lb Dumbbells x 10 seconds x 2

-Notes-

Today's press almost matches the 145 x 5 x 2 I did on 10/25/2017 when I was ten pounds heavier! I weighed 181 when I got home today. I am having a hard time wrapping my head around that. I can't believe the presses are behaving so well as I lose weight. 

Close Grips were good too with 20 lbs for the same reps over last week. I want to hit 225 for five next week. That should be putting my competition grip bench (which I will rarely do) at a pretty good spot, like 225 x 8 or so. I bailed on dips today because my right shoulder just seemed to have had enough after the close grips.

The isolation work today was for aesthetics and balance. I want to get some volume directed to the upper chest and to the medial delts. My shoulder/chest circumference is already on the high side at over 52", but I wouldn't mind getting just a tiny bit wider. 

Standing Barbell Press 145 x 5

Close Grip Bench Press 205 x 6

This Is Why I Love Wraps

Wraps are not cheating; they are a legitimate tool, like a squat/deadlift belt. When used judiciously both wraps and belts will enhance training and/or recovery.

I am using wraps this cycle and my knees are loving it. The day after a very difficult squat session, I have zero knee pain. I am able to crouch. The effusion that has been plaguing my left knee for a week is almost gone. Without the wraps that effusion would have gotten worse. I know this from many trials over many years.

Weighed 182 midday. It looks like I could legitimately lift in the 82.5 kg class if I were to compete again. Sigh. At least I will hit a triple bodyweight deadlift soon now that the bar is so much lower. I can legitimately no no no Olympic squat a bit more than double body weight right now.

Squat and Assistance

Olympic Back Squat [light/loose wraps at 45, belt at 385, heavy wraps at 390]
45 x 12 x 2
135 x 6
225 x 3
275 x 2
315 x 1
345 x 1
365 x 1
375 x 1
385 x 1
390 x 3

45-Degree Leg Press, squat style [loose, light wraps] 445 x 12 x 2
Hip Belt Squat Machine with 90 x 10 x 2
Seated Leg Extension, lever 55 x 20

-Notes-
I should have used 375 for the work set, but I really wanted to use 375 as a test for my beltless squat with light wraps/knee sleeves. I will go up to 405 for the belt and heavy wrap sets for the rest of the cycle and try to get multiple singles and then doubles with it. But I should do some back off volume after the heavy stuff.

I was unusually aware of my right quad during the squats. I felt it "kick in" on almost every ascent over 225.

Lastly, my light wraps were so loose that I was able to keep them on the entire session until it was time to change out to the heavy wraps for the work set. It was the coldest day so far this fall in Northern  California and my left knee still had fluid in it. So I had to keep my knees warm and provide some support at the bottom. I will be doing this a lot from here on.

375 @ 185 very loose wraps, no belt

390 x 3 @ 185 belt and heavy wraps

Acute, Temporary Knee Pain Last Night

Knee Pain Came and Went

Last night around 6 pm my left knee suddenly got tight and for the rest of the night I could not squat down more than halfway without being stopped by extreme knee pain. It was like something had slid a little out of groove and was pulling painfully tight with knee flexion.

I took some ibuprofen and when I woke up today the pain was cleared up. Really weird. I didn't do anything out of the ordinary yesterday or the day before. It felt like one of those random signals that I'm ageing.

More Pec Work/Focus

I've decided to add some more dumbbell work to focus on pec development, maybe even try another Press + Assistance day with a pec focus ass opposed to just the delts and triceps focus I currently use.

The pec focus would be flat dumbbell presses, incline dumbbell flyes, weighted dips, and

Weigh In

185 up from 180 last night due to three helpings of stewed beef with vegetables and rice and beans. 183 this morning.